Zach Freeman

ColumnistWriter

Freelance comedy contributor Zach Freeman has degrees in the extremely related fields of theater and computer science. He has written about theater and comedy in Chicago for more than a decade, contributing to Centerstage Chicago, USA Today's GoEscape magazine, and Newcity, where he was also the theater editor for several years. He is an instructor in the masters program in computer science at the University of Chicago where he teaches a very funny class about databases.

Recent Articles

If a comedy club were to exist in the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda — the fictional homeland of Marvel’s “Black Panther” — the lineup of comedians put together by producer, host and performer Lisa Beasley on Thursday night at the Black Ensemble Theater — a space whose gleaming...

In a neon green hoodie, jeans and white tennis shoes, comedian Michael Che, a stand-up comic best known for his “Weekend Update” co-hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live,” took the stage at the Vic just before 11 p.m. for the second of two shows on Saturday night. Holding a red Solo cup in one hand...

Walking through a metal detector and watching purses and backpacks get thoroughly searched — not that half-hearted open/shut that you often see at music festivals and sports venues but a real honest-to-goodness top-to-bottom search — at the Chicago Theatre Thursday night served as a pre-show reminder...

“Are you kidding? Nobody will give me a platform. It’s hilarious,” Kathy Griffin says, in a way that makes it clear that it’s both hilarious and decidedly not hilarious at the same time. We’re on the phone, and I have just asked the comedian if she’s staging her current North American tour — which...

With public trust in the media taking a hit amid constant accusations of “fake news,” many news outlets find themselves on the defensive on a daily basis. But there is one publication that continues to revel in made-up stories and was in fact thriving on fake news long before a sitting president...

“If y’all ready for ‘A Dope Comedy Show,’ let me hear you say, ‘Hell yeah!’” The voice booms over the sound system as comedian Dave Helem — a Chicago native now living in Los Angeles — steps onto the small stage in the back of North Bar in Bucktown holding a plate of pizza in one hand and a drink...

One of the many questions answered on the Zanies website FAQ page is whether any of the locations host an open-mic night. Though there is some information about a showcase at the Rosemont location, “No” is the short, blunt answer. As a comedian, the only way you get onto the stage at the original...

Five songs into musical comedy legend “Weird Al” Yankovic’s second sold-out night at the Vic for his “Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour,” I scanned the crowd and caught a beautiful moment. A boy — probably 10 or so — turned to his dad with a big grin on his face and gave him...